More Washington kids are uninsured as child well-being slips
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Children's well-being has declined in Washington state, driven partly by a rise in kids without health insurance, a new report finds.
The big picture: Washington is one of 29 U.S. states where kids fared worse in 2024 than before the pandemic, according to the report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
- Washington ranked 17th for overall child well-being, down from 16th last year and 12th in 2020.
How it works: The foundation's 2026 Kids Count Data Book measured children's well-being across four categories: economic well-being, education, health and family and community.
Zoom in: The share of Washington children who were uninsured rose from about 3% in 2019 to roughly 4% in 2024 — "a significant driver in our falling ranking overall," according to a press release from Children's Alliance, a Washington state advocacy group.
What they're saying: The drop in health coverage "coincides with the sunsetting of pandemic-era assistance policies, which likely contributed to a negative impact on coverage rates," Soleil Boyd, executive director of the Children's Alliance, said in a news release.
- "We know that when families do not have health insurance, they are less likely to get the care they need," Boyd said.
The foundation's report examined census data, which similarly found the rate of uninsured children in Washington rose from 3.3% in 2023 to 3.9% in 2024.
Between the lines: The data, which runs through 2024, doesn't include effects of more recent cuts to Medicaid or the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- Boyd said she is "concerned that this worrying trend will be compounded by the cuts to essential programs imposed by the Trump administration."
- Washington's Office of the Insurance Commissioner is "seeing people drop their health insurance due to rising costs, especially after Congress failed to fund the enhanced premium tax credits that helped more people afford their coverage," agency spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis told Axios.
What's next: Additional census data on uninsured rates is expected to come out in September, shedding more light on the state of health coverage since President Trump took office.